The Perth Mint marks the discovery of HMAS Sydney II after a mystifying 67-year wait with a magnificent commemorative coin.
Disappearing in November 1941 following a deadly engagement with the German raider Kormoran, the famous Royal Australian Navy cruiser was lost with all hands in the Indian Ocean. Her fate proved baffling until the Finding Sydney Foundation announced on 16 March 2008 that it had located the wreck approximately 207km off the Western Australian coast.
Perth Mint Chief Executive Officer Ed Harbuz said the enormous historical and cultural significance of HMAS Sydney II meant the discovery warranted a special numismatic tribute. "It is a project that The Perth Mint has been exceptionally proud to undertake," he said.
Issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, the superb tribute coin is struck from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality.
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The Royal Australian Mint will feature in the 2008 Floriade corporate gnome competition with an entry called ‘Priscilla, Coin of the Desert’. In the spirit of the theme Floriade 21 Films that Shaped our Nation, the Mint has entered 3 gnome characters from the Australian box office hit of 1994 Priscilla Queen of the Desert. [...]
The Royal Australian Mint officially launched its latest collector coin commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Sir Donald Bradman’s birth on 27 August 1908. The $5 uncirculated coin captures "The Don" in a familiar pose, saluting the crowd after scoring another century. "We are proud to release this collector coin which celebrates what would have [...]
The Royal Australian Mint has launched three new websites with each sporting a different theme and coin products. The offerings range from commemorative coins honoring the centenary of Sir Donald Bradman’s birth and the 25th anniversary of Australia II’s win in the American’s Cup, to an exclusive club membership with product discounts.
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In a market-leading initiative designed to help create a new generation of coin collectors, The Perth Mint has announced Young Collectors, the first Australian legal tender coin program exclusively designed, packaged and priced for 8 to 12 year-old children.
With the number of mature-aged collectors in decline around the world, Perth Mint Sales and Marketing Director Ron Currie said that the industry was in agreement that new initiatives were needed to boost participation in one of the world’s oldest hobbies.
"Young Collectors is set to tackle the challenge with a program of annual releases portraying themes appealing to children," he said. "It starts in 2008 with the release of 12 Australian Animal $1 coins on brightly illustrated information cards."
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The Perth Mint has released commemorative gold, silver and bronze coins celebrating the Australian Olympic Team’s participation at the 2008 Beijing Games. Authorised by the Australian Olympic Committee, the suite includes a prestigious 10g coin struck from 99.99% pure gold in proof quality. The coin’s reverse depicts the Australian ‘Flags and Rings’ Olympic logo in [...]
The Perth Mint of Australia has launched an innovative rotating coin commemorating the first man in space. The legal-tender, 1 oz silver coin celebrates the journey of Yuri Gagarin, who became the first person to enter space and orbit Earth for 1 hour 48 minutes aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961.
The limited minted coin marks the second release in the Perth Mint’s successful Orbit and Beyond Coin Series.
Gagarin’s flight ushered in a new era of manned space exploration that the 2008 Yuri Gagarin silver proof coin memorializes in a most unique way.
The .999 fine silver coin is constructed to rotate or "orbit" around a central brass representation of a colorful earth.
Equally colorful is the outer reverse or tails design bearing a "montage of images" symbolizing Gagarin’s journey and the border inscriptions "1961 FIRST MAN IN SPACE – YURI GAGARIN."
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The Perth Mint of Australia announces an array of beautiful 2008 collector coins for worldwide release. The striking of the new silver and gold coins include: First Australian Koala Proof Series, 90th Anniversary of the End of World War I, 2008 Good Fortune Gold Proofs, Christmas Island Silver Proofs, Prince of Wales 60th Birthday Silver [...]
In a move that foreshadows the multi-million dollar redevelopment of The Perth Mint’s retail and exhibition facilities, Gold Corporation – the Mint’s operator – has appointed Acumen Design as exhibition design consultants. One of Perth’s leading tourism attractions and winner of 11 Tourism Awards since 2000, the 109-year old Perth Mint opened its doors to [...]
The Perth Mint struck and launched a silver proof commemorative coin celebrating the 25th anniversary of Australia II, which became the first challenger ever to win the America’s Cup on 26 September 1983.
The Australian legal tender coin is made of 99.9% pure silver, contains one full ounce, and has a very limited mintage ceiling of 5,000.
The very attractive coin comes with a unique piece of history — a fragment of sailcloth taken from Australia II’s genoa, and worn as she crossed the finish line at the end of the decisive seventh race.
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